Guatemala Calls For Nato-Style Regional Force

Central American nations straining to contain the threat from violent and well-armed drugs cartels should push for the creation of a regional Nato-style military force, Guatemala’s president has said.

In an interview with the Financial Times, centre-left President Álvaro Colom insisted that only a significant improvement in security intelligence combined with a regional project to combine military strength would rid Central America of the vicious gangs.

His comments come as Guatemala battles against increasingly sophisticated and well-funded drug cartels, which have proved more than a match for the country’s depleted security forces and have undermined governability in Central America’s most populous country.